http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=27&id=2213
Ottumwa, Iowa – August 7, 2010 – It’s the achievement that has the International Videogame Hall of Fame buzzing. At 2pm today, Billy Mitchell revealed back-to-back verified world records, reclaiming his coveted Donkey Kong (DK) champion status and setting a new Donkey Kong Jr. (DK Jr.) record to boot.
“I can’t think of a better time and place than at the eve of the IVGHOF to have this happen,” says Mitchell, explaining: “I really have to give a nod to my son who prodded me to do something special for this historic event and Boomers-Grand Prix for graciously giving me the place to set my records.”
The scores - 1,062,800 on DK and 1,270,900 on DK Jr. – were verified live at Boomers-Grand Prix Arcade in Florida by veteran Twin Galaxies referees Todd Rogers and MorningDove Mahoney. Though his goal was to simply tackle DK alone over one weekend, Mitchell notes that he simply couldn’t turn down the opportunity to carry on his winning streak to DK Jr. when he found himself with free time to spare. “I remember a lot of celebration; hugs, kisses and a lot of hooting and hollering. Once that died down, stood there looking at Donkey Kong Jr. and thought ‘there’s one more thing I have to take care of’.”
“This has been a landmark event for Twin Galaxies International,” says David Nelson, Director of Adjudication for TGI. “We’re proud and excited to be here in Ottumwa, Iowa, birthplace of Twin Galaxies, celebrating the very first International Video Game Hall and now playing a key role in this significant gaming achievement.”
The final times for Mitchell’s DK and DK Jr. games were 2hrs 42 and 3hrs 58 minutes, respectively. Asked why he stopped as soon as he had slipped past Hank Chien’s previous world record of 1,061,700, Mitchell adds: “Some say I’m being cocky. Some say I’m being lazy. I say, I’m being Billy Mitchell."
Matthew Bradford (TGI), Director of Editorial Services, Twin Galaxies International
